ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. bark — to shout
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. bear — the animal
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. date — the fruit
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. bear — the animal
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. stem — to come from
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. ball — a dance
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. bear — to put up with

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com